Santana
by broadwaystar01
Summary: A small island by the name of Ponderoso is ruled by a powerful king and his family, along with his beautiful daughter, Santana. The natives of the land live in repression as slaves and merchants to the royal court. One of the servants, Sebastian, catches the eye of the young Princess. Together they fight the Ponderosian government in a battle to gain the native's freedom.
1. Chapter 1

"¡Otra vez! Tell us that story again, abuela!" a little girl shouted along with her two brothers as they ran around the small house in circles.

"¡Calma! Calm yourselves dear ones," the old grandmother said, looking through her collection of books that had the same fairytale that the children loved to hear.

"Tell the one about the beautiful princess who lived with the little men," the sister suggested

Her youngest brother pushed her out of the way frantically, "¡Absolutamente no! Absolutely not!" he protested, "Read the one about the genie in the magic lamp."

The eldest brother then tackled both his siblings, laying directly on top of them, "No, read the one about the Scottish princess who turns her mother into a bear!" The boy got up and his feet with his hands stretched upwards as he made little claws with his hands.

The old grandmother had brought her three small children to her cozy home every holiday season to sit them down and read them a story. The space she used for her bedroom, kitchen and dining area was very small, but she had a wide collection of fairy tales and famous writings. As the children began to fight over what they wanted to read, the grandmother began skimming her fingers over book spine after book spine until she suddenly hesitated and caught sight of one spine that had a picture of a girl on it. The grandmother hobbled over to the corner where she found an old painting that was collecting dust behind a chest. She picked up the painting and dragged it back to her seat along with the book in her hand.

"¿Que es eso? What book do you have there grandmother?" the eldest son asked.

"And who is the beautiful woman?" the sister asked, crawling towards the old painting, "Está muy bonita, abuela."

"Yes she was," the old grandmother said with a nod, "Tell me, children. Where are you in this very moment? What island are you on?"

"Dominica," they all said.

"That's right," grandmother smiled, "but it wasn't always called "Dominica"... it was once a home to a real life princess."

"Is that the princess?" the youngest boy asked.

"Indeed, it is. When I was a little girl, my grandmother would sit me down by this very fireplace and read me this story," she said, brushing off the book and opening it, "It tells the story of a real woman who became queen of this place. Of course, the writer changed the story a bit, so there's magic and mystery, but there is also truth and justice. This is the story of Santana."

The three children sat closer and closer to their grandmother with their eyes sparkling with wonder.

"Now let me see here..." she put on her glasses from the side table and cleared her throat before she began reading, "Erase una vez.. Once upon a time, there was an island far away ruled by a king, his queen and his daughter, the princess..."

A small island existed just off the coast of the Spanish main. Most of the surrounding islands had already been conquered by the English and the Spanish. All but one. A hopeful soldier, Ramon, sent out troops to conquer the island for his own personal power and wealth. After many years of resistance, the natives lost the battle and the Spanish took over everything. Palaces were built, villages were created and business began. The natives who surrendered to the battle against the Spanish lived in a smaller area farther from civilization where they were treated poorly and unjustly. They were forced to work on their farms and serve in the palace or work for the merchants of the village without any real businesses or jobs of their own. Despite the natives poor treatments, the Spanish lived peacefully and happily. Ramon assumed the throne of the island and called himself king of the new world called "Ponderoso" which means "mighty". He brought over a lady of his own to make her his queen, and together they had a beautiful baby girl that the land called princess.

On a stormy night when the princess was but a baby, the land of Spain was attacked by outsiders, so the King's brother, Count of Spain, brought his daughter, Rachel, to King Ramon's castle on Ponderoso to keep her safe from harm. Rachel was only 8 years of age, and Ramon and his wife, Consuela, continued to raise the child as their own. Rachel became a sister to the young princess, though as they grew older, she began to grow jealous of the princess's growing beauty, but never expressed her envy for fear of the consequences.

After 20 happy years for the king, everything was as peaceful as ever from the eye of the palace. One great morning, on the day of the eve of the 20th anniversary celebration of Ponderoso's establishment, a messenger came by ship to see the king with special news from the mother land.

"To his Majesty, the Great King Ramon of the province, Ponderoso," the messenger announced, bowing before the throne.

The King stood to his feet and nodded as he sat back down, "What news do you bring?"

"Sire, you have ruled this land wisely for many long and prosperous years... however, the King of Spain himself asks that, for the safety of your well being, you step down in 5 years and let another honorable man of the Spanish court rule in your place."

"Step down?" He asked, sitting back in his throne, "Well who does he suggest will take over after me? This land is as precious to me as my own daughter, it needs to be in the hands of someone I can trust."

"Right you are, sire," the messenger said. He went through his bag and pulled out a scroll, "That is why Duke Blaine, of the Spanish royal court, is coming to Ponderoso to seek out the hand in marriage of the lovely Princess-."

There was a loud bang as the double doors at the end of the throne room burst open. A spanish rose she was indeed. She had long wavy hair of black, big eyes that were filled with the sparkle of the stars in the night sky, lips like the full red roses in bloom and hands as delicate as a newborn babe.

"Father!" she called, rushing to the King's throne, the click of her heels making a small noise against the marble floor as she clung to a book in her arms, "Father! You must hear what I have learned today. There are so many things that we have yet to discover on this island."

"May I introduce my daughter, Princess Santana of Ponderoso," the king said to the messenger as she arrived at his throne.

Santana turned and smiled at him, then quickly turning her attention back to her father, "But you must learn this, father! Apparently the natives have been known to harvest berries from a group of trees that grow but one mile away from their camp! They say that it is the only thing that connects them to what they once knew. Do you know what this means?"

"What, my princess?" Ramon asked.

"This means that there are fruits out there with a new taste, a taste we haven't even discovered yet," Santana said excitedly, "there are so many doors of opportunities that we can go through because of these people. It really is remarkable."

"That is great, Santana, but first I must tell you why the young messenger is here," the King said, turning her attention to the messenger, "Apparently, you will be getting a visitor in the next few days."

Santana looked at the humbled man with his head bowed to her, then she turned back to her father, "Well when they get here, tell them I'm in the garden."

"But-." the King tried to protest her exit, but it was no use. After Santana kissed her father's cheek, she returned the way she came and closed the door behind her.

Santana didn't want to see anymore visitors at this point. It was almost her 21st birthday and suitors from all over Spain and England have come to seek her hand in marriage, no doubt this one was just an announcement about the next suitor. He could be a Count or a soldier, or a respected General. Nevertheless, Santana wouldn't care, because she wasn't quite ready to get married at this point. There was just too much to learn, too much to see. Marriage meant a lifetime of waiting by a man's side while he does the powerful work. What use is a life like that? she asked herself many times over.

She stepped out into the garden where she loved to be alone most of the time whenever she needed an escape from the four mighty walls of the palace. The princess stepped into the stone paved circle which contained a stone bench surrounded by hedges that were 6 feet tall. The tiles on the ground were a light shade of gray with the Spanish flag symbol engraved on them. Against the stone, the princess's shoes clicked against them. It was a delightful sound for her to hear. She sat on the bench and began to open the book.

"Erase una vez había una chica de España quien vivía en un casa pobre con su pobre familia en el centro de Segovia," she read to herself, then translated so she could learn both languages of Ponderoso and Spain, "Once upon a time there was a girl who lived in Spain in a poor house with her poor family in the very center of Segovia..." she flipped through the pages until she reached the dead center of the book, "Rosa Maria trató de a pie, pero Marcos agarró su brazo. No quería ver el amor de su vida a pie lejos de él. Él nunca había querido a nadie. Pensar, Marcos, el ladrón humilde, fue finalmente en amor verdadero... the great thief of Spain was keeping his true love, Rosa Maria, by his side, but she was walking away..." quickly, Santana flipped the pages until she reached the very end of the book, "Ella le dijo que ella nunca deje lo hizo otra vez como ella extendió su mano para su. Él lo tomó y se toparon junto con la puesta de sol como el pueblo quemado detrás de ellos y les persiguieron a los guardias. Marcos levantó a Rosa Maria sobre su caballo y juntos viajaron fuera en las montañas donde vivieron felices... and they left the burning city behind them to go into the mountains behind them and they lived happily ever after."

Santana shut the book and held it close to her chest as she spun around in a circle, imagining herself being carried by the same man on a horse, running away from a burning city while the guards chased after them. They were running for their lives, but at least they had each other. That life sounded so sweet, so wonderful. She wanted it more than anything. It sounded so much better than a life trapped in a castle boundary.

As Santana began to walk around the tiles, there was a sound of a Spanish guitar playing from the distance. She stopped and gasped, but then saw the royal minstrel with his guitar and a grin on his face.

"Buenas tardes, señor," she said, bowing playfully to him.

"Buenas tardes mi princesa," he said, "A song for your enjoyment?"

"Yes please," she nodded.

The minstrel began to play a song like he usually did when Santana felt she wanted some music to fit the moment. Then she closed her eyes and imagined that same thief holding her, carrying her and spinning her around as they danced together in the mountains. Suddenly, she found herself stepping on her own dress and falling backwards towards the ground. As she shut her eyes closed tightly, she expected a great deal of pain, but instead, she did not feel the ground or stone, but a pair of arms.

Santana opened her eyes and saw the vision of a man's face, but the sun was blinding her from being able to see him. He looked dark and strong and rough, yet it startled her. She jumped straight to her feet and ran back towards the castle. She shut the doors behind her and leaned against them, taking a few easy breaths as she analyzed what had just happened. A strong man had just saved her like she had always imagined. It was scary at first, but now she actually regretted leaving. She wished she could have met him, talked to him. However, his dark skin complexion resembled that of a native man. He was probably one of those that her father would not allow her to speak to. But she didn't care


	2. Chapter 2

The next night's sleep went by far too fast for Santana. She was so busy waiting for the garden boy to leave before she fell asleep, that she didn't even have time to dream about him before the sun came up. So she lay there, resting, while the origins of a dream began to puddle up in her mind before she heard the usual morning routine begin.

The sound of her black painted door made no sound, however, the shriek of her cousin, Rachel's, voice came loud and clear to her. When the princess dreamed, the sound of Rachel's voice came in the shape of a crow that picked at her mind viciously.

"Rise and shine, dear cousin," she called, "It's a beautiful morning and I bet you don't want to miss a second of it."

Rachel walked across the red, yellow and black patterned carpet towards Santana's bed in the center of the room that had black bedposts lined with gold at each corner of the bed that led straight to the ceiling. Her bed was in the shape of a circle and at the top of the circle was like an upside down crown that had a red color with gold lining and small bits of lace hanging from around it. First Rachel had to climb the small purple carpet mounted stairs to get to Rachel's bed before she sat on it, rubbing the sweet princess's back as she began to wake.

"Must we go through the same sorrow every morning, Rachel," Santana yawned before stretching her arms and rubbing her eyes.

"Sorrow?" Rachel scoffed, "Whatever do you mean?"

"I mean, I always wake up from a dream that I never want to wake up from, and waking up to the reality that no such things happened to me that happened in my dreams... is such sorrow."

"Nonsense," Rachel said before showing the maids in, "There is so much more going on out here then in here." She tapped the princess on the head and the princess frowned.

"It is no use telling you my sorrows when you don't seem to understand why I have them," she sighed.

"Exactly!" Rachel clapped.

The countess took the princess's hand and lead her to her heart shaped black chair with red cushioning in front of her very large mirror. "Now tell me dear princess... what do you see?" Rachel said.

"Despair, sleepless, tire-."

"Not at all," she snapped, "I see the image of success," there was a pause as Santana sighed, picking up her brush and handing it to her cousin for her to brush her hair as usual. Rachel rolled her eyes and took it from her and began brushing slowly through the dark raven hair, "You have a visitor coming in today from the mother land."

"Oh? and who might that be?" Santana said sarcastically, "another General? Or maybe the prince of England this time."

"No, silly. The Duke is returning."

"Blaine?" she asked.

Duke Blaine of Northern Spain had come to visit Ponderoso before when Santana was just a little girl and his father wanted to see the land himself. The two had a very good friendship and they shared a mutual love in discovering new things. Together they went through the books their fathers gave them and found the various new names for the flowers in the gardens and the crops in the fields. Santana never would have guessed that he would come back here today.

"I already know what he wants," Santana shrugged and handed Rachel a pin to keep her hair from falling in her face, "All men who visit here have but one purpose... and that's to use my power to gain their own personal wealth and success... they do not want to grow old with me or listen to my stories or encourage me. They do not want to hear about the give and take of a relationship between two people, they only wish for me to bow and curl my hair and say 'yes dear' every day and night. That is not a life I wish to live at the moment."

"Nobody said you had to marry him just yet," Rachel assured her, "I'm guessing all they want is for you to get to know him better now that you've both grown up, and if marriage is in your future... then what happens happens, yeah?"

"I suppose," she sighed, holding up her hand to stop Rachel from brushing, "I'm going to get dressed and then we'll see, won't we?"

"Absolutely," Rachel grinned. She quickly snapped her fingers as the maids led the princess to her changing room.

After getting dressed, she finished preparing herself, she heard the loud blasts of the trumpets from outside of her window. Santana quickly ran to her window as she saw a horse drawn carriage approach the palace steps. She could feel herself growing nervous, not because a possible marriage proposal was on the horizon, but instead, she was nervous about the native garden boy, what was going to happen from then? She really did want to see him again, after all.

"I-Rachel..." she hesitated to say this to her, but wanted to get things out in the open, "I have to tell you something."

"Yes, cousin?" Rachel asked from the reading room.

Santana walked towards the small rectangular room that had walls filled with book shelves and couches against all three walls. She walked up the small two stairs to get to Rachel and sat next to her, taking a deep breath.

"Something happened yesterday... while I was reading in the garden at the stone bench in the circle of nature," Santana said quietly, "I began to sing with the bird's songs and the minstrel came in and played a beautiful song as always, but then I began to close my eyes and imagine myself dancing in the arms of a handsom adventurer like the ones that exist in these books that I read... but I fell, I tripped. Someone caught me, though. I fell into the strong arms of a certain man-."

"Duke Blaine arrived early!?" Rachel asked excitedly.

"No... it wasn't Blaine at all," Santana protested, "It was a native man... the gardener, actually."

"A native?" Rachel gasped, "Oh no... Are you all right?."

"Yes, I am perfectly fine," she nodded, "More than fine, actually. I have always wondered what it was like to be swept off my feet by a strong man and to be pulled into a dangerously romantic frenzy... but now I know what that feels like. I felt so scared, but so safe at the same time-."

"Pardon me, princess," Rachel interjected, "but are you crazy!? This is a native we're talking about. We all know they're pointlessly trying to overthrow people like us... I understand that this is not something you'll easily let go, but Santana... you must listen to me when I say that this may not have been a romantic moment for him, in fact, he might be trying to gain your trust only to stab you in the back. That's all that these people want... I'm sorry, cousin."

Santana actually wanted to believe that this native would be different. She always wanted to believe there was something more to them than what the royal court make them out to be, but when it finally put into words in such a context, she could truly hear the tone in her cousin's voice and the fear that she had for her safety. There really was no guarantee as to what would happen if she saw the native man again. She just had to accept that. But the things was, she really couldn't without more information. There had to be something more there. There just had to be. When she looked into the stranger's eyes, she saw something and she didn't know what it was, but it certainly wasn't vengeance or cruelty.

Suddenly, the trumpets sounded loud and clearly from outside. Rachel grinned and patted the princess on the back.

"Ready to see Blaine again?" she asked.

Santana nodded. The two got up and headed out of her suite and down the marble staircase to the throne room where the Duke was waiting for them.

"Duque Blaine, your majesty," the page announced.

King Ramon stood beside his Queen, Consuela. The tall double doors opened and a tall and strong man entered the room. He was wearing blue garments and dressed in the finest jewels from Spain. He was strong looking and carried himself with his chest outward. His dark hair was slicked back with gel and his complexion was the same as any other Spaniard.

"Your majesties," he said, getting on his knees and bowing before them, "It is a great honor that you have welcomed me to your home."

"We are happy to see you return, your grace," Queen Consuela said with a nod.

"On behalf of Ponderoso, we welcome you," King Ramon said as they sat down. Blaine rose to his feet.

"I assume you must know why I have been sent here," the duke said humbly.

"We do," Ramon replied, "and we accept the King of Spain's offer, on the condition that the princess is in love..."

"The last thing we want to do is force our daughter into a marriage she is not comfortable with," Consuela stated, "thankfully, the two of you have previously met and she seemed happy enough then."

"I only hope that she will accept me into her life now as she did before," the duke nodded.

"When do you intend on proposing to Princess Santana?" the King asked.

"As soon as possible, your majesty," Blaine answered.

"and we have no doubts that she won't say yes," he smiled, looking over at his queen who nodded in agreement, "This is a fine match indeed."

The page entered into the room, bowing before the King, Queen and Duke before clearing his throat, "The Princess has arrived."

"Send her in," the queen said sweetly.

The page left and moments later, Santana entered the room followed closely by Rachel.

"Good morning Santana," King Ramon said proudly.

"Good morning father," Santana curtsied, "Mother."

"Good morning Santana," the queen smiled at her daughter.

"Santana, do you remember Blaine?" the king asked, reaching his hand out to present the young man.

Santana stiffened a little bit, slowly feeling herself lose control of her freedom, her ability to walk or move, "Yes..." she said formally, "Yes I do remember."

The Duke stepped forward to her and took her hand in his, placing his other hand over hers.

"It is wonderful to see you again, dear princess," he said, bringing her hand to his lips as he kissed it softly.

"Likewise, your grace," she replied.

"It has been quite some time since we last saw each other," Blaine said with a grin on his face.

"Yes... it has," she nodded, "We were but small children at the time..."

"of course," Blaine sat back on his heels with his hands behind his back, "I wonder... would you fancy a walk with me? Through the garden, just like we used to when we were children."

"I'd very much like that, thank you," she said, holding out her hand for him to take it. What she needed now was some fresh air, a chance to take all of this in. Sure, she had thought plenty about this before hand, but now that it was happening in front of her, it all seemed like her forced future was smacking her in the face.

The Duke took the princess's hand and they walked out of the double doors to the porch that lead to the garden, "I very much like the view here," he added, "Your gardener is extraordinary.

Santana couldn't help but refer to the gardener she was fascinated with when he spoke those words, so she blushed a little bit as she spoke in a flustered tone, "Yes... yes he is."

There were several moments that had gone by in terribly awkward silence. The two of them continued to stroll through the garden while they tried to find the words to say to each other, making it look like they were just admiring the bushes, the trees and the flowers. Santana only occasionally looked passed the nature to see if she could find the mystery man, the stranger who had swept her off her feet. Maybe there was some way that she could hear him speak to her, or at least thank him for helping her. She hoped her frightened expression that day didn't scare him off.

"Mi Princesa," Blaine said, tugging her hand so she spun around and landed on the bench, "I have come here for one reason and one reason only."

Santana could hear her own heart beating louder and faster, but not with love; with nervousness and fear instead. He sat beside her and finished talking, "I wish to get to know you again... we were great friends once when we were children... you were but a young princess and I the son of a duke, but now you are going to be Queen soon... and I would love to have a chance at becoming your future king one day... I realize that this may startle you, but I simply had to put that out there before we continue things."

Blaine continued speaking to her, but she didn't acknowledge him. Now more than ever, she wanted the stranger to appear out of no where, take her by the hand and whisk her away into the sunset. Blaine kept moving closer and closer to her and she did not realize this until he touched her cheek.

"Princesa Santana," he said softly again, "I would love to reacquaint myself to you. I only wish to know you better... will you give me that chance?"

The princess began to open her mouth, but was suddenly stopped when she saw a shadow lingering behind the bushes. Something was there. She hoped that it was someone. Seconds later, another man came into view with his golden brown toned skin, his arms strong and covered with a thin sheet of sweat as he chopped the bushes in the sunlight. He was tall and handsome too. He really was everything that Santana had imagined. She only knew what he felt like from when she was in his arms, the sunlight blinded her from seeing his face. But there he was in all his glory.

"Quite all right," she blurted out, patting the duke on his back as she rose to her feet, "Will you excuse me?"

Without looking back at the duke, she saw the stranger run off and she started to head in his direction.

When she reached the hedge where he was standing, she didn't see him, no trace of shadow or anything. "Where have you gone?" she asked quietly, "and why must you leave when I am so close to you?"

She walked around the corner only to see the figure of that same man running away towards the village. That was the sweetest sorrow she had ever witnessed. There he was, moving, breathing and he was real, but he was running away from her. Maybe he didn't want her. Maybe he was just frightened. But with all of her might, she wanted him to come back.

He ran and ran and ran and ran the few miles to get back to the tribal village. There was no way he was going to get away with catching the attention of the princess. She was much too formal and much too high in society to be seen with him. It was just implausible. So he ran away. Who know what would have happened if he had let her see him, let her speak to him. Speaking to royalty is punishable by death to natives, after all.

He continued to run around the Spanish village and through the forest until he reached the very center of the island where the native tribal village resided. The women were dressed in their usual garment with their hair tied back as they worked their own tents and gardens with their children. The men returned home from work as usual with their dirty feet and weary expressions. It seemed like such a normal day.

The man entered his own tent where his weary friend waited for him.

"Holly!" he called, "I have returned."

The caretaker rose to her feet from the pot she was leaning over. With her very weak limbs she waved her hand to him. "Sebastian!" she cheered, "You are home! How was your day at the fields?"

Holly began to walk towards him, but Sebastian quickly ran to her side, sitting her back down by her pot, "You should already know, Holly. Your magic can see into the future, can it not?"

"It can. This is true, but it only comes to me in distress... thankfully I have seen nothing, so I don't think you are distressed," she retaliated.

"You are correct, I am not," he agreed, "but... something did happen today."

"Tell me all about it!" she cheered, "Things are only so interesting here for a certain amount of time. After living on this island for many many years, things tend to get boring."

"Of course. But I met someone the other day. A woman."

"A woman?" she asked, her eyes widening with intrigue.

"Yes. She stumbled upon me while she was dawdling through the nature and ever since then she has been trying to find me, I hear her talking to herself as if I am standing right by her side."

"How romantic..."

"It is, isn't it? I wish I could show my face to her at some point soon. She seems like something different."

"Oh dear Sebastian, you have always had the heart of a thousand horses, but now it seems you have softened to make room for love... tell me, what is her name?"

"Well... Holly... her name is Santana."

Suddenly, the pot that was in front of her burst with red air in the shape of a dragon that began to attack Sebastian as he jumped up in terror. Holly snapped and recited some kind of incantation that sent the dragon away.

"Sebastian... the princess?" she asked.

He nodded.

"This is not good," she mumbled to herself, then she got on her knees and grabbed his shoulders, "Sebastian, you must not forget what her people have done to us. Look at this life we live, dear boy and ask yourself... is it really worth it? She does nothing but follow in her cruel father's footsteps and give us a life of poverty, feeding off the scraps the villagers leave behind... she will not give us what we want... what we tribes have desperately wanted for 20 years..."

"Freedom," Sebastian sighed, "I understand very well Holly."

"Then I advise you to stay away from her," she said sadly, "I know it may be difficult for you... but you must trust that this is for the best."

Sebastian understood quite well what she was saying. In fact, he took it to heart. Sebastian had some issues with the Spanish royal court. They had done things to him that could never be erased from his mind, things that changed him and made him a much harder person. He had a cold heart at times because of them. Of course he wanted freedom for himself and his people, and Holly was right, the princess was not going to give them that. Running away from her was the only thing he could do at this point if he wanted to set his people free.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey guys! Thanks for reading my third story "Santana" thus far. Just so you know, this was a creative writing assignment in my English class and I thought it was just too good to forget about, so I decided to change the names and share it with you guys as a Glee fanfic. **

**The story name was "Valentina". The character's original names were Valentina (Santana) Nathaniel (Sebastian) Alejandro (Blaine) Ivanna (Rachel) and Donoma (Holly) so if some parts of the story sound funny, it's because it flowed better with the original character names I came up with.**

**Anyway, enjoy Chapter 3! This will be updated every day until it's finished :)**

* * *

Several weeks went by after the duke arrived and Santana had last seen the garden man. Unfortunately, she had seen one quite more often while the other simply vanished from her life. It was more like a silly fantasy than a dream come true. As Rachel brushed Santana's hair once again, as she usually does, she looked into the mirror and asked herself several times who she saw herself with and every time she tried to picture herself as a queen beside King Blaine, she only saw herself in a tree somewhere with the garden man. It was inevitable that he had gotten under her skin without saying a word to her.

"Do not waste this opportunity on a fantasy," Rachel said, rubbing the princess's shoulders, "I know what you're thinking about... I can see the remorse in your eyes because you have not seen the gardener in quite some time... it is only for the best after all. Blaine will keep you royal and rich for many years to come... at least consider his marriage proposal before you throw your life away."

"I never said I wouldn't consider it," she protested.

"Maybe not out loud, but anyone with eyes can clearly see you haven't at all."

Santana sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, "and what if I do say no to the Duke?"

"Then you'll be making a big mistake. Trust me. Duque Blaine is a fine man and you'd be crazy not to marry him."

"I suppose he is a fine man..." she thought about it for the first time with a serious question. Every single time she contemplated marriage to Blaine, it was automatically blocked by her own selfish wishes. Maybe it was time for a change in plan. Maybe a rich husband like the duke would actually make her happy.

Moments later, the dining room table was surrounded by the members of the royal court. King Ramon sat at the head of the table next to his queen, and next to Consuela was Santana. Beside Santana was Blaine, who occasionally crept his hand next to hers and rubbed his fingers against hers awkwardly. Across from them sat Rachel, who bitterly at her breakfast while she stared at Santana, giving her that "Don't ruin this" look. They ate in silence until the King gave little antic dotes every so often.

"Santana," The Duke called, standing up from his chair.

The princess stiffened again out of nervousness. He wouldn't propose here and now, would he? Not in front of everyone. How embarrassing that would be for both of them. For her to be put on the spot and to give a response he wouldn't like to hear. A shame if that were to happen in front of everyone he honored.

"May I have a word with you, dearest?" He asked, "I'd prefer just outside, if that pleases you."

She nodded, "Yes... that would be fine."

The princess rose from the table as the duke showed her his arm. She placed her hand on it and they moved forward to the great hallway and outside on the patio leading to her favorite garden. Santana pressed her hands agains the marble banister as she looked around, but then she felt a hand against her shoulder.

"Dear Santana," Blaine sighed happily, "These past few weeks have been... heavenly for me. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you all over again. I see your kindness, your creative thought and your spirit and I admire you for it... you will be a marvelous ruler one day."

Santana shrugged and turned to face him, leaning back agains the banister, "One can only hope that there's a good future ahead of me and my people."

"There will be," he assured her, "and with me as your king... nothing will stop us. I promise you."

The Duke began to bend down on one knee. Santana looked around to see who might be lurking. It would be a shame to have someone walk in on this. A shame for him, she thought.

"Santana... will you do me the honor of being my bride?" He asked, smiling brightly as he took her hand in his.

What was she going to say? No? Look him straight in the eye and tell him no? How rude of her, even she knew that. Santana objected to love so many times in her life because it was simply not real enough to her. No love ever felt right, it just felt like a dear friendship. How could Santana ever marry a friend? There was no true love there because he didn't do anything to show it. He never did the things she wanted, like read adventure novels or dance with the minstrel. He only ever talked about himself and occasionally focused on her feelings. It didn't feel like love at all.

"I-I..." She stuttered, resting her hand over his, "I don't know what to say... but... I'm going to have to think about this for a bit. I'm sorry."

She tugged both her hands away as she walked towards her bedroom once more. Her heels clicking against the marble as she tried to get away as fast as she could.

Once she climbed the large staircase and entered her room, she sat in her reading room and clutched her pillow tightly. The poor man must be so humiliated all by himself there. Of course she wasn't ready, not did she want to be married, but it was a shame to leave him so vulnerable there.

After a few silent moments, there was a loud knock on the door.

"Santana!" Her father's voice resinated through the entire castle as he continued to bang on her door.

The maids quickly rushed to open it and the King stormed into the room.

"What is there to think about!?" He shouted.

"This is not your concern," Santana said sternly, "I do not love Blaine, therefore I shouldn't have to marry him this instant."

"How could you not love him? You have spent weeks, maybe even a month, together and I have seen nothing but a smile on your face every time you're alone!" Ramon complained, pacing around the room, "How could this have just happened? We were so certain you were in love."

"He is a friend, father. A lover, I cannot consider him as such," she argued, picking up a book from her shelf.

"You will grow to love him then," he suggested, "You will marry and then fall in love."

Santana's eyes widened as she shook her head, "Oh father... are you really so thick headed this often?"

"Do not contradict me young lady. You are almost 21 years old and it is time to make a decision about your life... you will be queen soon and no one is better fit to serve the kingdom as it's king than Blaine himself. What more could there possibly be?"

"How about the fact that I do not feel the warmth of love when I am near him. How about the fact that I do not have feelings for him that replicate that strongest of love which leads to marriage in the first place. I wish to see the world and discover everything there is to know. I wish to be free before I become a willing prisoner."

The king took in a deep breath as he rubbed his palm against his forehead for several moments. Then his heart hardened as he headed towards the door.

"If you do not marry Blaine... then I have no choice but to take away your freedom. You will not attend the announcement this afternoon and you will never leave these chambers."

The door slammed shut and Santana could looked quickly towards it. No more freedom, she thought. What a shame it was, to not have any freedom simply because she wouldn't do what he wanted. What really bothered her the most was that she could never leave her room and go to the outside world, she couldn't go to the garden and see the gardener again. She wouldn't be able to see his face or his perfection ever again. She was so certain that she wouldn't for two reasons: 1. He had run away from her 2. There was no way she could learn to fall in love with Blaine. Not when her heart yearned for the stranger.

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The tribal village was quiet. The morning had just arrived and the natives were rubbing the sleep away from their weary eyes. Most of the women were already up and going as they made breakfast for their husband's, friends and family. The sun had just began to peek out of the horizon as it did every single morning. Holly began her morning incantation, the ones that would keep her loved ones guarded in the day and hidden from danger as they worked. The natives relied on them because everyone always remained safe when she did.

The only sound coming from the village was the crackle of the fire in the center of the village and the small whispers of people as they woke up. That was quickly disturbed by a loud trumpeting sound and the galloping sound of hooves against the dirt roads that lead to the village. It was obvious that Spanish soldier was quickly approaching them. The women hid their children in the tents and alerted the men. Holly heard the panic in the people's tone and sat by Sebastian's sleeping side.

"Awake, my son," she said softly, "The Spanish are here with news. Awake!"

Sebastian squeezed his eyes shut as he began to sit up. He opened his eyes widely and rubbed them, then stretching out his long arms and legs. "What is happening, Holly?" he yawned.

"You must go and see," she said quickly.

Sebastian stood up and exited the tent. He stood next to the other men as the horse stood in the center of the village next to the fire. With the bucket in his hand, he threw it over the flame as the smoke arose from it.

"Natives and slaves of Ponderoso," the soldier called, "The King and his court call every man, woman and child to the center of the Spanish village for an announcement that he is making about the future of the kingdom. Our men will be standing by here in this village and if we catch any strays who aren't at the announcement, immediate termination is our order."

The horse made a loud noise as it kicked it's front legs up in the air, which frightened the people. Moments later, the soldier rode off into the distance.

"What's going on here?" one man asked.

"It must be a conspiracy, or some kind of trap to get us all in one place," another man shouted.

"I say we retaliate and take back what is ours. If they're all in one place, it will only take a few of us to kill them!" another one roared.

The village men cheered together, but Sebastian quickly stood up on top of an old tree stump.

"NO! Call it off!" he yelled, "Killing the King and his court is only going to put us into more trouble. It's more likely that we'll fail than succeed and then what? We'll all be put to death anyway."

"What do you suggest we do, Sebastian?" Holly asked.

"I say we create an act of protest," he answered proudly, "If we speak to the others, the spanish villagers, then they can't put us to death for speaking to royalty, can they? If we can get the spanish villagers to agree with us, then we have a better shot at getting the court to hear our plea. There has to be someone there with a heart of gold and not of cold steel."

"Holly has said her protection incantations?" one of the men asked.

"Yes," she responded.

"Then let us go not to make war, but to attempt at making peace," Sebastian stated, "We will not go with death on our shoulders, but with life instead. Life that is able to bring peace to us and give us back our rights."

The men threw their fists into the air in triumph. Their voices were raised high while the women clapped their hands together. All the children looked wondrously at their leaders and smiled. The only person who remained calm was Holly, who gave her boy an approving nod.

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Santana sat at her balcony as she watched the carriage ride away towards the Spanish village in the distance. With longing eyes, she wanted so badly to be there, to speak to her people, to see what they're like all together as one. But as she sat there in her own sorrow, several thoughts came dancing in and out of her mind. Santana couldn't help but think about the stranger and what she would say to him if he were here now. She's probably tell him all about how upset she is about being trapped in her room just because she won't marry who her father wants.

As these thoughts continued in her mind, she thought about what he would say back. He might be angry, as a matter of fact. He's a native and his sufferings were much worse than hers. Thinking about it even more, it hit her. The natives are held prisoner every day like this, except they're conditions are worse. They can't do simple daily things without their lives being threatened. This really didn't help that she was trapped in her room, because now more than ever she wanted to be down there, learn more things, see those natives with her own two eyes. The only ones she had seen were her chamber maids and the occasional palace servant.

The princess looked down her balcony and measured the distance from her room to the ground. Fearlessly, she grabbed a bed sheet and made a rope. She tied it to the railing on the balcony and used it to slide down to the ground. Santana landed safely on her feet and with a deep sigh, she rushed to the stables and found the first horse she could find and rode off towards the village.

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In the center of the village was a statue of King Ramon himself, standing tall and strong with his crown firmly on his head, his scepter in one hand and a sword in the other hand that was pointing directly in front of him. When it was built, Ramon constantly said that it meant that he was ruling a land that was only going to move forward in prosperity. The Spaniards were dressed in their respectable clothes that the middle class wore, and the natives were scattered about in their own garb. It was quite easy to tell who was who because the natives had a much darker skin tone than the Spanish, and their clothes were more battered and natural than the higher class villagers.

No matter where they were from, everyone was conversing what was going to happen today in the King's speech. He could possibly say anything, and they knew their king was full of many ideas. Most villagers assumed that he was going to grant more warrants for businesses, while others thought that it was his speech about stepping down from the throne.

A carriage pulled up to a raised platform in front of the large crowd. Trumpets were sounding and villagers started to cheer, except for the natives, of course. King Ramon stepped out of the carriage and helped the queen out. Next the Duke stepped out followed by Rachel. Only a few villagers wondered where the princess was. Sebastian was one of them. He had simply assumed at that point that she did not want to associate herself with the commoners, so his dream of seeing her again faded away. After he shrugged, he stood up against the statue and climbed up until he was sitting on the statue's shoulder.

"FREE THE NATIVES!" he shouted, "RESTORE THEIR RIGHTS! NO MORE MISTREATMENT!"

He repeated these chants over and over again. The King's heart filled with anger while the cheers of the natives and few spanish villagers filled the crowd. Blaine rolled his eyes while Rachel had only hoped Santana was no where near by. The crowds soon joined in on Sebastian's chants, each of them crying to each other for their freedom and their rights restored.

"Guards!" the King shouted, pointing to Sebastian, "Seize him!"

The faces of the native's then grew worrisome. He had assured them that everything as going to be okay, but now things were taking a turn for the worse. Sebastian might die. Holly realized this and closed her eyes tightly shut as she muttered something under her breath.

The sound of a neighing horse came in as the hooves hit the solid pavement of the streets.

"No!" Santana shouted, "Don't touch him!"

Santana had just arrived into town when she heard the chants. She saw the stranger sitting on the statue's shoulder and couldn't help but smile at him and his bravery, but once her father stood up, she had to do something to protect him. His death would be the end of her dreams, her fantasies.

"Santana," the king spat, "How did you get out of your room?"

"Our castle isn't very high up," she snapped, "It's very easy to climb down safely to the ground."

"You should not associate yourself in matters that do not concern you."

"THIS concerns me," she assured him.

"Santana, please sit down," Consuela pleaded.

"No, mother," Santana argued, "You can't hurt these people."

"They were taking my words and my rule in vain," Ramon interjected, "No native is allowed to speak to a royal family member."

"But he was not speaking to you, father, he was speaking to his friends," she said, "Did you not see his head tilted down to the people. I assure you, his argument was not pointed to you."

The people could hear the conversation between the King and the Princess. Sebastian was surprised that a member of the royal family could show such sympathy to a man of his nature. It was a rare case.

The King grunted and looked towards his guards once more, "Arrest him. Disruption of public affairs is a crime for any man."

"N-"

"Enough! Take him away, guards.. and please escort my daughter back to the palace immediately."

A soldier who was standing by the carriage walked towards Santana took her by the arm. Santana didn't argue any further. It was better to travel back with her stranger than stay with the vile rule that was her father.

The other guards got Sebastian down onto the ground and tied his hands together behind his back, pushing him into the metal carriage where prisoners were kept until they would return to the palace. The carriage rode off back to the castle after that.

Now, all she had to think about was finding a way to restore his freedom. He was in prison now, which means he wasn't going to be put to death, but at some point, she knew her father would want to get rid of him in some kind of way. Under Santana's protection, she would not allow that. At least not before she got to know him a little better.

When the carriage arrived back at the palace, the guard opened the door and held his hand out to show her the castle, "Welcome home, princess."

Santana nodded and held her hand out to stop the guards from moving. She knelt down beside the prisoner's cart where Sebastian was sitting, angrily.

"Don't you worry, kind stranger," she said lovingly, "I promise I will find you a way out of this... you will be free from these chains soon... you have no reason to be afraid while you're in my care."

She had hoped for a reply from him, but instead he just sat there and grunted. While his reaction hurt her a little bit, she was glad she had a chance to speak to him for the first time.

"Princess," the soldier called, "It's time to come inside. You're family return in due time."

The princess nodded and then looked back at him, "Guards... make sure that no harm comes to him until I've spoken to my father. On my orders, once he is inside, you will not lay a hand on him. Is that clear?"

"Of course your highness," the guard said, bowing his head to her.

In the cold metal cage, Sebastian felt nothing but anger towards the royal family. All he was trying to do was make a difference, and he couldn't let his guard down now. If he had showed any kind of compassion to the princess, what would that say about him? But no matter how hard he tried to shove emotions out of the way, he couldn't help but feel his heart clench as he saw the princess walk with her face shining in the sunlight and her hair flowing in the breeze. She was beautiful like the villagers say, but he now knew that those stories were a huge understatement.

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	4. Chapter 4

Santana sat in her room once more, fidgeting with her fingers as she sat on the edge of her bed. Occasionally fixing her tiara on her head whenever it felt crooked. Scratching her nose every once in a while, tapping her feet against the carpet ground. Biting the inside of her cheek. All the things she could do to wait in anticipation. It wasn't enough to get lost in a new book and forget it ever happened. The Queen would arrive soon and tell her the fate of the native boy who rested in the prison cells beneath the palace floors.

The Princess couldn't wait any longer. He must have been so cold down there not to mention lonely. There aren't many native prisoners down there because her father doesn't like taking prisoners. No wonder every native crime is punishable by death. That was a terrible thing to think about.

Luckily, the queen opened the door slowly as she walked into her daughter's room

"Mother," she sighed in relief and approached her, "What news? Will they set him free?"

"Your father is very persistent," the queen said sadly, shaking her head, "He is waiting for the time when he can tell the guards to kill him."

Santana gasped, "No... you must not let him... What did you say to him?"

"Just the simple fact that killing off more natives is a cruel way to handle his prisoners," Consuela replied.

"May I speak with him?" the princess begged, "You have to let me, mother. I know what I am doing here. I could convince him that what the native boy did was nothing of his concern and nothing worth being executed for."

The queen nodded. One thing that Santana always had an eye for was arguing her way into something. She was the most persuasive girl back when she was a child. Now she was only getting smarter and smarter every day.

"I think we both know that I cannot stop you," The queen said with a small smile.

Santana hugged her mother, then quickly head out of her room and marched her way towards the throne room.

"Father, I must speak with you about the fate of that boy," Santana announced as she slammed the side door to the throne room open.

Ramon rolled his eyes at her, "Nothing you can say will change my mind, Santana. He broke the law."

"Under what terms?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest, "This boy was doing nothing but speaking to his own people. The law-."

"The Law clearly states that no native shall put themselves in front of the royal court, otherwise face the consequence of death," The King argued.

"And what else does the law say?" Santana asked again, "That no native shall disrupt the peace that the court has established. He did not disrupt the peace. Well last I checked, you had not said a word from your unusually long statements just yet. He did not interrupt you, nor was he speaking directly to you. Therefore, no laws were broken. You could kill him for raising his voice in public, but then how would that reflect on you, father?"

The King looked at her angrily while she spoke, but then softened, only to nod at what she was saying.

"I see... but he still-"

Santana groaned as the king began to go on and on about what he did was wrong. There was no convincing him with reason any longer. The boy was going to die, and then what? All of Santana's fantasies and dreams would be gone, and she didn't even know his name yet. She didn't know what his voice sounded like, if it was deep and commanding or light and soft. And what of his personality? Was he gentle, kind, protective and sweet? Or was he mean, cruel, rude, arrogant and conceited? She would never know. But then she remembered. She remembered the one thing that her father wants from her the most.

"If you set the boy free..." she said, looking down at the ground as she feared the words that were about to come out of her mouth, "I will marry the Duke, Blaine."

The King sat back in his thrown and scratched his head for a moment, "and you will keep to your word?"

"My hand in marriage in exchange for that boy's freedom, I will do no more from there."

"Very well," The king nodded, "I will set him free. And in 30 days, you will marry Blaine as promised."

"Thank you, father," Santana said quietly. She left the throne room very slowly as she realized what she had just done.

It was the only way to set the boy free, but she sacrificed her own freedom in return. Some things were just more important. He had less than she who had everything, so granting him his freedom was much more important than her own freedom

She headed down the halls to the wooden staircase that lead to the prisoner's jail cells. The walls leading to the prison were made of stone and the floors were covered with hay, scraps of food and pieces of clothes were torn off. It wasn't the most sanitary place in the kingdom, but it was where she wanted to go this time. The narrow hall ended at an arch, which lead to a circle with 10 or 11 prison cells in each slot.

When she arrived at the arch, the guard stood up and held out his arm.

"Princess," he said, "You must not pass by order of-."

"You have new orders now," Santana said sternly, "By order of the King, my father. I am here to personally set a warrior free. Now if you don't mind... let me pass."

"Como desea, princesa," he said, which means 'as you wish'. He moved his hand away and the princess entered the prison area. Other prisoners were asleep on the ground, the hands scratching their bellies as they snored, but only one was leaning against one of the walls in his cell.

"You..." she said softly as she approached the cell, "You are free now."

He looked up from the ground and his eyes widened as he saw the image of the princess in front of him. He stepped out of the bright sunlight and grasped onto the bars of the cell. The guard came forward and placed the key in the slot, unlocking the door and opening it with a loud creek

"See? I promised you no harm would come to you," she said with a sweet smile, "Now come with me, I will show you the way out."

She began to walk towards the narrow hallway once again, but instead of taking the stairway that lead to the palace floor, she took the one on the other side, which lead straight outside into the open air. Once she pushed the door open, the sunlight came shining through, along with the soft island breeze.

"Here, now you are free," she said.

He looked at her, and then at the view of the garden, the flowers, the ocean, and the Spanish village. He then began to run away. Santana wanted him to be free, but she didn't want him to leave so soon.

"Wait! Wait! Please!" she called after him, running closely behind him, "You must tell me who you are... I've seen you before today. Haven't I?"

He stopped in his tracks, rolling his eyes at himself as he turned to face her.

"You work in the garden... you've seen me too," she said.

There was a brief moment of silence between them. All she really wanted was for him to say something, anything at all. She had to know what he sounded like at the very least.

"Please... tell me your name," the princess begged.

Another moment of silence between them. He looked as though he was studying her or figuring out he could trust her or not. She tried to look as trustworthy as possible and she didn't see why he couldn't trust her. She just saved his life after all.

"My name is Sebastian."

Santana smiled at him after words finally came out of his mouth. His voice was indeed soft, but it was deep as well, but not too deep. Just deep enough to sound protective and strong, but gentle and kind at the same time.

"Hello Sebastian," she said, waving to him.

"Why have you saved me?" he asked almost immediately after she spoke.

"I did not want to see another native die in vain," she said reassuringly, "I think the way my father treats his natives is too cruel."

"Then we are not alone," he nodded, "but I must leave you here, princess."

Sebastian began to run off again, but Santana reached her hand out towards him, shouting, "No! Please..."

Santana began to run after him as he slowly came to a stop, "Where are you going?"

"Home, and I will never come back here again." He began to run again, but what immediately stopped by the pleas of the princess

"But you have to come back!" she protested, "I'm just meeting you and now you're leaving?"

"Yes. That is the way things are. You are a princess, you live here. I am less than a peasant, therefore, I live over there. Now if you'll excuse me, dear princess."

Sebastian mockingly bowed to her and started to walk away from her.

"You could at least thank me for saving your life!" she shouted.

Sebastian stopped once again, groaning because she was right. He turned around and walked back to her.

"Thank you for saving my life," he said sweetly, "Now I have to go."

"But you can't. There's so much I want to know about your people, the life that you all live. I've been studying for years in the books but if I saw it for myself, that would be more than a dream come true."

"I could not take a princess back with me to my own village. What will they think? They will assume you are there to turn them in for something."

"T-Then I'll go in d-disguise! Yes. That's what I'll do. Please Sebastian, let me go with you. It is the least you can do to repay me for what I have done to save you."

Sebastian hated how much she was right. All of his years he was seen as a leader, always right and just, but now he had met his own match. A fire-y spirited princess with an eye for arguments and finding her way out of situations. He had never had to confront a woman like this before. Was this always how women acted in Spain? Maybe not. After all, he was there when the King and Queen announced the birth of the princess. He was only 4 years old, though. So she wouldn't really be considered a Spain woman. That could be why she wanted to know so much about the natives; this island was all she ever really knew.

"Oh all right," he sighed, "There might be some clothes in the Spanish village. Whenever one of us dies, they keep their clothes in a cabinet of some sort. I will find some and deliver it in a bag to you in this very location. Do not forget."

"How could I?" she asked.

He nodded and continued on his way. Whether or not he was going to return was unknown, but nevertheless, she would wait. And she did wait. It was not only an hour later when Sebastian returned with a bag that contained a native style dress and shoes. In her room, she changed into the clothes and tied her hair back in a braid, then taking some of the dark powder she used for her cheeks and spread it all around her face so it looked roughed up like the other would look. She returned to the garden with Sebastian by the time dusk came.

"Aren't you afraid they'll come after you?" Sebastian asked.

"Not at all," she shook her head, "They'll simply believe I'm locked in my room while I'm gone. My ladies maids will tell anyone who tries to enter that I wish to not be disturbed."

"I can't believe it's that easy for you," he laughed, "Now come on, we want to get to the village before nightfall."

"On foot, we might, but there is an easier way to get there," she said, indicating the horse that was tied to the post just a few meters away from them.

"No one will notice this one's gone either?" he asked worriedly.

"Not this one," she said, walking towards the horse and patting him gently on the back, "No one knows this horse is here, actually. His master died in a terrible storm at sea, and so everyone thought he had run off, but I kept him here for myself."

"You are one very clever girl," he nodded.

"If all princesses stopped worrying about which tiara they're going to wear on what day and focused more on the joys of reading books, then more princess's around the world would be more clever," she argued.

"Then you wouldn't be so unique anymore," Sebastian interjected, "and you would lose that special touch you're so fond of."

"You say I'm clever and then you come up with something much more witty and clever," she said.

Sebastian shook his head and walked towards the horse. He climbed up on it and then reached out his hand for her.

"Princess," he said.

Santana took his hand as he helped her onto the horse behind him.

"I do know how to get onto a horse myself, thanks," she nodded, grabbing onto his body as the horse started to walk, "And you don't have to address me so formally... Call me Santana."

The horse suddenly jerked forward as he rode off to the native's village around the usual path that he took to get home.

"Well Santana... I won't be able to call you that in the village. We have to come up with a new name for you."

"What do you suggest, Sebastian?"

"Hmmm... I think Kaya will suit you."

"Why Kaya?"

"If you pick, you'll pick something either Spanish or incorrect here. Then they'll know who you are, so Kaya it is."

"Oh fine," she shrugged.

The horse came to a halt as it arrived on the dirt road that lead to the village that was just ahead. Sebastian led the horse to a post outside the village and, after Santana got off, he tied the horse to the post.

Santana could see the smoke coming from a central fire in the tribal village. There were tents set up instead of houses and the women and children were dressed like her. They were running around and playing games while their mothers watched them and washed their clothes.

Sebastian stepped in front of her and she followed closely behind them to the village. Once he entered, the women were all astonished to see him. They all began to run to their tents and say, "Sebastian is alive. He is here."

The men stepped out of their tents with their faces covered in disbelief.

"Sebastian!" One man cheered, "We thought the king would have had you dead by now."

"Did you escape?" Another asked.

"No, quite the opposite," Sebastian assured them, "In fact, it was the same princess who kept me from death in the first place who convinced the king to free me."

At that moment, Holly emerged from her tent with a soft and weary smile like she always had.

"Perhaps she is more different from her family than you give her credit for," Holly said.

Sebastian pushed through the crowds, followed by Santana, and he hugged her tightly.

"Did you think I was dead as well?" He asked.

"Not for one moment," she said in her old and sweet voice, "but it was much more fun watching these guy's reactions to know that you weren't dead."

"Oh Holly... you always put on a show, don't you?" he laughed.

Holly was released from his embrace and she caught sight of Santana standing there as Kaya.

"Who is here with you?" she asked cautiously.

Sebastian stood by Santana, "Holly, this is Kaya... she was- umm- in the palace dungeon with me."

"Y-Yes..." Santana had to think of a story, and fast, "I-I come from the American native tribes... I worked on a ship for a white man until the ship was caught in a storm... when I came here, they arrested me for unannounced arrival... The princess released me too, along with Sebastian. Of course I had no where to go... so he brought me here."

Holly walked up to Santana and then she hugged her, "Anyone is welcome here, child."

"Thank you," she whispered.

Holly stepped back and smiled sweetly, "I am Holly. Mother of the village."

"Holly took me in when I was a child and ever since then she's raised me as her son," Sebastian said.

"We can tell more stories later, Sebastian. Bring your friend... it is time for supper."

The tribe was so small that each household belonged to a log around the fire. The father and the mother sat on the log while the children sat on the ground. Families ate together around the fire as the ocean breeze blew in and the cold air came, the sun settling beneath the horizon of the water.

Santana sat on a log next to Sebastian while Holly sat on her own log next to them. After the discussions died down and the moon came up, Holly clapped her hands together to form some kind of rhythm.

"Friends," she began, "Family. We gather here this evening to unite with one another in love and in loyalty. We remind ourselves where our true home is. We also welcome those who are in need of a home."

Everyone nodded at Santana, she looked up at Sebastian who whispered in her ear, "Nod back" and so she did.

"I remember the days when our people roamed free. When we had more land to walk on than just the small patch of village and forest that we have been given. Brothers and sisters, this is a big island, and we deserve more out of it because it was once ours. The spirits of the land still call to us. They know who really belongs on this island."

"You forget that 'the princess is good!' Santa Princesa!" One of the men stood up and mocked a member of the Spanish village, folding his hands and walking around the campfire.

"Peace!" Holly shouted, "That is also what we want between our two words. If the princess is what she seems... we may have reason to trust her. After all, would Sebastian be here today if it wasn't for her? Or our guest, Kaya, for that matter?"

The other men groaned as they crossed their arms. Anyone who is a member of the royal family was scum to them.

As Holly sat back down at the log, finishing her dinner, she looked over to her right and saw Kaya resting against Sebastian's shoulder. She grinned at them as she took a sip from her cup.


	5. Chapter 5

The events from the previous night at the campfire with the natives gave Santana another reason to feel excited about waking up in the morning. She was no longer trapped in the confinement of being a royal family member. Now she had an escape route to a whole other life where people were wonderful and kind and lived a completely different lifestyle than what she had known all her life. Not to mention a man that she had always imagined in her mind as the man of her dreams. Sure, he was a bit stubborn, but his heart was in the right place, she felt. Santana had promised Sebastian that she'd return before the sun hits it's highest peek, so when breakfast arrived at the royal table, she quickly began to eat.

"Hungry, dear?" Consuela asked, concerned.

Santana looked up from her plate and nodded, "Starving, mother."

"Dearest, are you quite all right?" Blaine asked, touching her hand softly, "You seem very rushed."

"I was reading a story last night," she said, "and I simply can't wait to get back to it, that's all."

"It certainly is nice to have a wife that is so into her reading, isn't it, Blaine?" Consuela smiled at the Duke.

"Yes it is, your majesty," Blaine smiled brightly as he patted the princess's back, "She will never be bored and when she tells me about what she is reading, I will never be bored either."

Santana finished the last of the food on her plate and stood up, bowed to everyone at the table before rushing off to her room.

Once the doors were closed shut, she knelt down beside her bed and pulled out the box that contained the native clothes that she needed to become Kaya once again. She would escape out the servent's entrance while wearing a hood over her head.

Once the clothes were on, the dust makeup on her face and her hair tied back in a braid, she snuck out the door quietly and headed down the servants staircase.

"Pardon me, maid?"

Santana heard that familiar voice and thought that she would get caught the second she turned around. She faced him and bowed to him instantly.

"Your grace," she said, changing her voice to a softer and higher register, "What can I do for you?"

"I just wish to have a word with you," he said, "I think you work with the princess, yes?"

"I do, your grace."

"Ah, good," he smiled, "She is quite a fascinating creature. I simply can't wait to marry her. She's smart, funny, sweet and considerate of others. But then she also takes care of herself in some instances... to have a wife as valuable as Santana would be wonderful for any man."

"That's very nice, your grace," she said, still bending down so he wouldn't see her face.

"Could you tell her that I said that?" he asked, "I want her to think highly of me."

"As you wish, your grace," she said, bowing her head lower a few more times.

"Thank you. Now be on your way."

Santana quickly turned away and rushed down the servant's staircase. Once she reached the bottom, she straightened her back and leaned against the wall with a big sigh of relief. That was very nice of Blaine to say, but still, when he spoke kindly of her, she didn't feel flattered. In fact, she felt like an object even more, as if she was a prize for him or something. It didn't matter anymore at the moment, so Santana got onto her horse and rode down towards the village for day 2 as a native girl.

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Sebastian marched in front of Santana with his bow and arrow safely secured on his back. She followed closely behind them as the two of them ventured into the forest farthest away from the village. Holly had asked Sebastian to show Kaya one of the most sacred artifacts to the native people. It was a tree in the center of the forest on the other side of the island.

"What does this tree have, exactly?" Santana asked.

"Berries," he answered, looking through the skies, "It was one of the first trees that ever grew on this island, as our legends tell us. The berries kept our people alive for centuries until more trees began to grow. Tonight, Holly wants to make dinner with them to share with the tribe."

"That sounds wonderful," Santana sighed happily.

"Sure thing, but I'd watch my back if I were you," Sebastian said cautiously, "You never know what could be in these woods."

Santana looked at the birds that were flying through the air; humble blue birds and robins singing as the sunlight hit their wings. Occasionally, a butterfly or two would fly past her and she watched in wonder at the bright and beautiful colors. Creatures like these never came by the palace. The butterflies and birds were all the same there, but in the woods there were so many more to discover.

Suddenly, a loud shriek of a noise came out of nowhere, and a vision of birds came swooping down. Santana didn't have time to see what it was until she was instantly knocked to the ground, surrounded by a pair of arms. Sebastian now kneeled in front of her as she grabbed onto his shoulders.

"Don't shoot it!" she cried as Sebastian pulled out his arrow.

It was too late. Sebastian had shot the bird as it fell slowly to the ground with a thump.

"Did you not hear me?" she asked angrily, "It was just an innocent creature."

"You never know what roams around these woods, did I not tell you that!?" he yelled, "What if I hadn't? That bird would have killed you had I not come down here and saved you."

"We could have run away, there's no need to hurt a bird that way!" Santana argued, "It's inhumane and cruel!"

"Fine then. I'll just let another blood thirsty creature roam free and maybe hurt more people!"

"You don't know if it was going to hurt me or not! Maybe it had just lost its way!"

"How about you thank me for saving your life!" Sebastian shouted.

Santana leaned back against a tree, almost frightened of the angry tone in his voice. She didn't know he could get so angry in the first place.

"Fine..." she said through her teeth, then she softened up, "Thank you for saving my life..."

Sebastian held out his hand to her after he stood up, "Now my debt to you has been re-payed."

She sighed and took his hand, standing up, but accidentally tripping on one of the tree roots. She almost fell backwards with a light gasp, but he acted quickly and wrapped an arm behind her to catch her before she even moved an inch. One of her hands ended up on his shoulder, tugging at his clothes tightly from fear of falling.

"You really don't know anything about the woods, do you?" he chuckled.

"Apparently not..." she blushed, then got back onto her feet securely, "but thank you for that too."

Sebastian let go of her and dusted himself off before he nodded and continued towards his current path.

The pair continued to walk through the forest, only occasionally stopping when Santana thought she had heard something strange. Sebastian always laughed at her when she got scared. She had always talked about how she craved adventure, it was funny to see her afraid of something as simple as nature. Yet he admired her greatly, especially how she looked at everything with that sparkle in her eye. It was a shame that she had never seen things like that before. Maybe palace life wasn't as wonderful as most natives thought it out to be. Sure they had their rights taken away, but they had the nature and the beauty. Santana talked so much about confinement. He had no idea that they were both so trapped. Seeing her free like that touched him in some way he didn't know. It wasn't love, though. Sebastian could never love like that.

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Similarly to the previous night, everyone in the tribal village sat around the central campfire as they began to eat their dinner. In a stone bowl were the mashed berries to make a paste consistency and they added some sweet herbs and water to make a stew of some sort. Santana enjoyed the meal. The berries had a rich and juicy flavor. It wasn't exactly sweet, but it just tasted like nature and plants. It was like tasting the gifts of the earth itself.

"Wonderful meal, Holly," one of the women said cheerfully.

"It's a shame we can't eat like this everyday," another woman sighed.

"This is what we consider a feast," one man stood up, "Meanwhile, in the palace they are having full sized pigs and potatoes with butter with loads and loads of green and vegetables."

"…and a full rack if lamb at the end of the table," Santana said softly.

The man nodded to her and continued, "and all we can salvage are some berries with small herbs in a stone bowl."

"We are forbidden to hunt," Another man spat, "At least not without being sentanced to death ourselves."

"We work from dawn until dusk with no pay," Another woman cried, "all of those hours of pain only to come home with nothing but three beans a month. No money."

"How do they expect us to live?" one man asked.

"They don't," Sebastian interjected, "They want us to slowly die off with the others. It's either that or we mess up in some kind of way and use it as an excuse to behead us."

"The Spanish people are never treated like this," a man argued.

"They can at least have sturdy homes with stone walls," a woman said.

"They can also have fireplaces of their own that they use to keep warm," a man protested.

"And to use to bake bread if they want," a woman added.

"They can also raise cattle of their own to use for meat," a man said.

That caused a simmer of whispers to fly around the circle. Everyone telling each other how horrible things are.

"When will this madness end!?" A woman cried.

The villagers then started to talk louder. Santana leaned closer to Sebastian as she grew frightened of the fire that sparked in these people. She thought that if they tried to do anything more than complain, their own heads might be chopped off as well.

"It will end..." A man stood up on his log and raises his axe in the air, "when we kill the King and his family!"

The men picked up their weapons and cheered together. They shouted, "and all who gets in our way!"

Santana looked frightened at Sebastian as she squeezed his arm. He did not look at her, but he did not cheer with the other men. Santana stood up on the log.

"But what about the princess?!" She argued, "What about the ones who fight FOR you, AGAINST the king. If you kill them now, you'll never gain your freedom when they send a new Spanish king down from their homeland!"

"We'll kill anyone who stands in our way, Kaya," Sebastian said, standing on the log next to her, "They deserve all that's coming to them... when I was a young boy, not even 3 years of age... the Spanish arrived to our island, our home, and attacked us. They destroyed everything I had ever known. As a baby, there I was watching my home, and my friends' homes burn down. I watched my neighbor get carried away... and I watched them as they killed my father while he was protecting me and my mother... and after my mother gave me to Holly for safe keeping, I watched them kill my mother... after that they changed all of our names so it would be more pronnouncable to them… I will not allow those people to roam free when they still have a debt to repay to me. Our peoples' lives, for theirs."

Santana gasped as she sat back down on the log. Sebastian wanted to kill her family, her parents, her cousin, and her friends there. He even wanted to kill her if she stood in his way. The idea of it made her sick. She didn't want to see the man she has gotten so used to reduce to this kind of violence. It made him a killer. She clutched her hand to her stomach as a tear fell from her eye. Sebastian looked back down at her and instantly saw her pain. He sat back down next to her.

"What's wrong?" He asked sweetly.

Santana glared at him with her red eyes and then stood up to leave the camp. Anywhere was better than there. She might as well return home to the solitude of her father and mother while she still had them. It was much better to be comforted by her mother's lullabies than to listen to these savages speak of killing them. What hurt her most was that they never even gave her a chance to prove herself as someone who could help them before they made plots to kill her. Sebastian joining them wasn't so fun either. For a moment there, she thought they had something special.

"Kaya!" Sebastian called as she left the camp into the dark woods, "Kaya! Wait!"

"You address me in a way that I do not understand," she spat, untying her hair from the braid.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, "Kaya, please don't go!"

"That's not my name!" She yelled as she stopped walking.

She turned slowly to face him, although he was standing at some distance from her.

"My name is Santana," she said, her voice obviously sounding as though she was crying, "I am the princess of Ponderoso. I am the daughter of Rey Ramon and Reina Consuela. I was born with royal blood flowing through my veins and I am meant to become queen of this land if I live to see another day. You do not address me as such because you only want Kaya... You want the peasant girl you saved who is willing to live forever in a village... Santana is just the daughter of the scum who makes false promises and is obviously easy to kill!"

"I said that if you stand in my way, I'll have no choice," he argued.

"You think I enjoy hearing you say that?" she cried, "That after the last few days you're just going to kill me as if you never caught me in the garden. As if I never saved your life. As if you never saved me from that bird? I don't actually. It makes me sick, to tell the truth. So I'd rather be in MY home with MY mother and father."

"I don't know why you worship them so much," Sebastian, argued, "They're vile and cruel to put us through this!"

"Do not speak about my mother like that! ¡Deberías avergonzarte!" She shouted, "My father may have done some bad things in his life, but he is still MY father. My mother is nothing but gentle and kind. If it weren't for her, half of you would be dead right now… you know what it's like to lose a mother and father… why would you make me go through the same pain? I thought we were friends! I might even lo-."

She stopped herself immediately and shook her head. She couldn't love him now. Not when he was plotting to do those horrible things to them. How could she love a man who was plotting her death?

"I'm sorry Santana," Sebastian said sternly, "but my mind is made up... don't bother returning as Kaya if where you stand on the subject is where you remain."

Santana watched as Sebastian walked away back into the village. She let more tears fall, but shut her eyes to hide the rest of them. Her hair was no released into the wind as the dark makeup began to wash away with her tears. In a puddle, she saw the look of half Kaya, half Santana. It was all just too much for this night, so she got onto the horse and rode back to the palace where she cried herself to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Thank you all for continuing to support the story. I'm going on vacation on Wednesday (June 26th) and it will be difficult to upload while I'm out, however, I will update as much as I can with what I've got.**

The aftermath of the villagers cry affected them all in the morning. After spending all night complaining and chanting, they all woke up more tired than usual. The men were lazily walking towards their piles of fresh clothes that the women had washed the night before. The women made a small breakfast in their own tents as the children ran around and played games with each other. The central fire place was still releasing smoke as the stones around it were black with rubble as usual.

The sound if horse hooves then came approaching to the village. The other villagers began to toughen up and some of them cowered in fear. Sebastian heard these sounds and assumed Santana must have said something to her people. However, when the white horse arrived at the village, there was only one and the princess of Ponderoso was riding on it. She slowed down once she entered the village and headed towards the central fireplace. She slowly began to circle it as she spoke.

"Natives of Ponderoso!" Santana began, "I do not come here to give orders or to state a new law. In fact, I come here on my own with no escort following me. The King does not know I'm here. Only the queen knows. She knows as well as I that the mistreatment of natives has gone on for far too long! For 20 years you have been held here without the rights it takes to survive. You have no rights to find food, no rights to buy some, no rights to speak when you wish. I say it ends NOW!"

The villagers all looked confused as she princess continued to circle around the fireplace, making eye contact with each villager. But then she stopped her horse and stepped down onto the ground and stood up on a log.

"You speak freely with me, good people," she assured them, "I see this as not me and you lesser. I see this as us. We all live on the same land under the same government. Things will not change unless we work together. You insist on using protest and violence, but that does not come until later, my good people. First we must act, and if they do not listen, then we will protest, but it will not come to violence unless they call us to. I believe in freeing you!"

"How can we trust you?" One villager shouted.

"Because I have learned," she said, "I have studied your ways in your books and by watching you and speaking to my maids in the palace. I know what you are suffering. No human being should be reduced to this! So I say enough. I will start by having your sacred berry trees planted around the borders of this village, so you no longer have to risk your lives just to get a decent meal."

The women of the village smiled as they clapped. The men however, were not fully convinced just yet and she could see that.

"Your wages shall be restored!" She declared, "I have the power to start a movement that will not only give the natives their rights back to this land, but also give them ability to work for pay. You will no longer come home with nothing! The natives shall suffer no more! Not while I'm alive! You, the natives of this tribal village... You are my people now! Who will stand beside me as we start our journey to freedom?"

One man raised his weapon in the air slowly and shouted, "I will!"

The other men looked around. One by one they each raised their weapons in the air until every single man and woman held their hands up high in the air and chanted, "I will!"

"We will!" Santana cheered.

The natives began to cry out and cheer as they hugged each other and turned their hands into fists and shook them in the air. Santana knew there was no turning back now. She had their trust and it was too late to give up on them now. This was the time to make a difference, not later. As she got back up on her horse and continued to circle around the crowd, waving to them, she caught sight of the only man who stood outside of the crowd, standing outside the familiar tent. Sebastian was there with his arms crossed across his chest and a very stubborn expression on. She gave him a firm and approving nod before riding off back towards the dirt road.

Sebastian returned into the tent with a huff and picked up his spear angrily. He sat down and grabbed a nearby stone and began sharpening it fiercely. Holly returned from outside and hobbled her way over to her pot, taking her stirring rod and stirring the liquid inside the pot in a circular motion.

"I did not see Kaya come into the tent last night," She observed.

"No, she did not come in at all... she um... stayed at another tent," he sighed, "we got into a fight."

"Why? I thought you were becoming friends... she seemed so close to you."

"She is not-... I mean... she supports the power hungry and the greedy as if they have done nothing wrong."

"Now I'm not quite sure that's what Kaya was talking about," Holly said, turning around to face him with her hands on her hips condescendingly, "She says she's supporting those who believe in you... not everyone in the palace thinks the way the king does... did you ever think about that?"

Sebastian groaned and started to sharpen his spear at a much faster pace as a way to get his frustration out without taking it out on Holly.

"I think the princess seems to be in her right mind," she argued, "Didn't you hear her? I think she's more trustworthy than any Spaniard I've ever seen... how does that make Kaya a bad person for supporting her?"

Sebastian didn't say anything more. He stood up, stretched out his limbs and then picked up his bag and left the tent with his spear. He couldn't stand it in there anymore. He didn't like that someone else was actually proving him wrong in this situation. It was so easy to hate the Spanish for what they did to him, but for once, he was actually starting to form a different opinion on it because of what Santana said. She said those things, not only to assure the people, but to assure him individually. It was actually working... just a little bit.

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Santana road back on her horse back to the palace. Of course she had to take the longer route rather than the short cut, just so nobody would suspect that she has been that way before. When she arrived at the front of the palace, who was standing there did not surprise her.

"Blaine," Santana called out to him as the horse came to a holt, "What are you doing outside? You weren't waiting for me, were you?"

"I actually knew what you were going to do, so I though I'd see you back," he smiled.

"How did you find out?"

"The Queen," they both said together and laughed.

Santana got off her horse and handed him off to the horse boy who led him back to the stables.

She walked up the stairs to see her future husband standing in front of her. He was much easier to look at now that she knew who Sebastian really was. The duke held out his arm for her and she took it.

"You aren't angry with me because I'm going against my father's orders?" She asked.

"He did not give any specific orders that you couldn't approach them," he said with a soft smile, "and I myself do support you and your cause."

"Thank you, your grace," she whispered.

"We are to be married soon... I think you can get away with calling me Blaine now," he chuckled.

Santana grinned, "Thank you, Blaine. Your support means a lot to us."

"This cause is going to help you become a great queen... your ideas deserve to be heard."

That was exactly what she wanted to hear all along from someone who was going to marry her. Finally it wasn't all about him and all about the money. For once it was about ideas and both people's consideration. That's all she really wanted after all. Maybe Sebastian wasn't the dream man he seemed to be after all. Maybe Blaine was a good choice in a husband and she may have misjudged him.

"You will keep these plans a secret from my father, won't you?" She asked.

"Of course, Santana," he assured her.

And so the new royal couple walked up the marble stairs into the palace that would soon be theirs to own together. Except Santana couldn't help but look back at the setting sun and remember what could have been.


	7. Chapter 7

Kaya returned to the village after a few days of waiting. She figured Sebastian would be upset with her and coming back instantly wouldn't change anything. After some time, maybe he would at least consider being friends with her again. Blaine suggested that Santana should visit the village more often, but she thought to herself that going as Kaya would keep everyone unsuspicious of anything.

She walked into the village while everyone was in their own tent or out in the fields working. She stepped into Holly's tent and saw Sebastian sitting there sharpening his spear as usual.

"Sebastian..." Kaya sighed in relief that he was there and not anywhere else.

Sebastian looked up at her and instead of a cold reaction, he stood up and calmly walked to her, guiding her out of the tent.

"I've returned to offer you a truce between us," she said, holding out her hand to him, "Fighting each other does not help anything."

"What you said the other day... it made me think twice," he said quietly, "C-Can we really trust you? Can we trust you to help us?"

"Of course you can... why would I put your hopes up so high only to put you down again? I am not so mean."

Sebastian looked around for a moment and then stepped closer to her so no one could hear their conversation, "I was so afraid to trust you at first because... you are the princess... and it's not easy to trust that..."

"But the only way for this to work for your freedom is for us to work together."

He nodded, "I agree... I shouldn't have reacted the way I did as well... and you were right... killing people is a cruel way to start... I'm sorry I frightened you in that way."

"Thank you," she smiled.

Sebastian took Kaya's hand and they shook firmly as they smiled at each other.

"Now," she sighed happily, "Will you please teach me more about the natives? Learning will only strengthen my knowledge to help you."

"Yes..." He said, looking into the woods, "Follow me. I'm going to show you the woods first."

"But I've already seen the woods," she argued as he grabbed her arm and began to race towards the trees.

"Not the ones near the village," he said excitedly.

Kaya rolled her eyes and laughed as they headed to the forest.

Sebastian lead her deep into the native forest where there were several rocks and moss. He lifted one of the rocks and showed her the insects underneath.

"Ugh!" Kaya shrieked, "Why would you show me this?"

"This is not what I wanted to show you."

He picked up a worm from there, playfully shoving it in her face as she jumped in fright. After he got over his laughter, he placed it on a branch and held out his arm in front of her to hold her back while they watched it. Moments later, a bright blue and yellow feathered bird appeared and ate the worm off the branch.

"That is what I wanted to show you," he whispered.

Kaya's eyes widened in wonder as she stepped slowly and closer to it.

"It's so beautiful..." she whispered as she continued to stare at it.

The little bird moved twice and then quickly flew away. Kaya gasped and pouted.

"But wait," Sebastian grinned, "There's more..."

He took her hand and took her to a tree. He began to climb and she climbed up after him.

As the sun became brighter and brighter, there were more colors and soon she was surrounded by several rainbow colored birds.

"Oh my..." Kaya stared in wonder.

She held out her arm and one of the birds landed on it and tweeted playfully until it flew away. She had never seen anything like this in her entire life. The sun never shined so brightly. The birds never looked so beautiful. The palace wasn't the most beautiful treasure on the island, the nature was. Sebastian watched as she took all of this in. He had seen these birds all of his life, but he had never seen a more beautiful sight then watching her reaction to them. Her happiness was more precious than anything he had ever seen.

Several days later of going back and forth between Kaya and Santana, she began to enjoy her time with the natives more than her time at the palace. However, the more time she spent with the natives, the more precious her family was to her. Everything seemed better at times.

One afternoon while Sebastian was working in the fields, Kaya decided to visit the women of the village.

"Good morning ladies," she said pleasantly as she skipped over to the women picking flowers and herbs from their own gardens.

"Good morning Kaya," they all said with a cheerful smile.

"Are these for our dinners?" She asked.

"Yes... Come look!" One of the women said.

Kaya kneeled down beside them and looked carefully at one of the flowers that rested there. She noticed the while petals with the yellow center that faded to pink an then to white.

"You use the petals?" She asked.

"No, the leaves, sometimes the stems," another woman said.

"The flowers we use for decoration," one woman smiled.

"Would you like one?" The woman next to Kaya picked the flower and handed it to her.

"That's so nice, thank you," Kaya smiled and picked the flower off the stem and leaves, placing it in her hair.

"They're here!" a woman shouted from the entrance of the village.

All of the women stood to their feet and waved as the men came into the village carrying their bags and weapons. Kaya quickly ran toward them and pushed past the other men until she found Sebastian, running into his arms as they embraced each other.

"How was work?" She asked.

"Fine, fine," he shrugged, "Although I half expected a crazy princess to come parading out with a book and clumsily fall to her feet."

Kaya chuckled and pulled the flower from her hair.

"They showed me the herb garden today," she smiled.

"Oh! I completely forgot about that! Maybe you might get more done if I don't show up," he chuckled, "but I did plan to show you something if you're still up for it."

"Of course!" she cheered, similarly to a 3 year old girl getting a new treat for her birthday.

Sebastian laughed and took Kaya by the hand, leading her to the rocks farther from the herb garden. When they reached the end of the path, they walked into a giant cave that was lit by the sun with hundreds of cave drawings.

"Wow! Are these all from us?" she asked.

"Every single one," he said, then he walked over to a specific painting that had two people, a boy and a girl, and a little boy in between them. He held his hand firmly there was the memories of his family became flooding in.

Kaya noticed immediately and rested her hand on his shoulder for comfort. She directed him towards a blank spot on the wall and picked up the writing tool they used. She drew a boy carrying a girl on her back as she raised her hands in the air, cheering. Sebastian laughed and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you, Kaya," he smiled.

Kaya rested her head against his chest as she felt the warmth of the sun across her face.

A few days later, when the sun was at it's highest peek, Kaya and Sebastian decided to go for a run through the forest. They ducked under trees and climbed over rocks and roots. The pair laughed and shouted as Kaya tried to catch up to Sebastian.

Kaya jumped up onto a high rock and shouted, "Sebastian!"

He stopped running and looked up at her, "Fall! I'll catch you!"

Kaya laughed as she leaped from the rock, closing her eyes and stretching her arms out as if she were flying. When she landed she fell straight into Sebastian's arms. He spun her around a few times as she grasped onto him while she got dizzy.

Once she saw correctly again, she saw a bit of water just ahead of her. She jumped out of Sebastian's arms and ran towards the water only to see a cliff leading to the ocean water. The edge of the island.

"What is this place?" she asked while she took a moment to catch her breath.

"We come down here to dive into the water. See there."

Sebastian pointed to about four or five native women and men diving into the water at a much smaller height.

"It's the safest place in all the island. Calm water. No rocks. No Spanish."

Kaya looked wonderously at the people having so much fun, laughing and giggling and cheering with each other.

"I want to try," she said proudly.

"Come on, I'll take you there," he said, reaching for her hand.

Kaya pulled her hand back and shook her head. "No... Not there. Here."

"Are you sure?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes!" she said with an enthusiastic nod.

Kaya removed the neck covering of her clothes and her shoes before running back a little bit and jumping into the water head first. It was exhilirating and so wonderful to feel so free, like she was truly flying through the air. With a splash, she landed in the water. She opened her eyes a little bit and then saw the fish swiming in the water next to her. Seconds later, Sebastian fell into the water next to her and they both smiled as they swam around each other. After only a few small moments underwater, they resurfaced.

"That was amazing!" she cheered loudly.

"I've never jumped from there before," Sebastian laughed, "but that was so much fun!"

Kaya felt the current push her a little bit until she fell forward into his arms again. He quickly grabbed her. They stared at each other for a moment. She admired the way the sun looked against his wet skin. Suddenly, the sound of chanting men and women caused them to look up at those jumping and laughing.

Kaya and Sebastian laughed as they swam to shore together only to do it all over again, eventually convincing others to go with them.

They all enjoyed their time in the water until the sun began to set. The other men and women left for camp, but Kaya wanted to watch the sunset and Sebastian insisted on staying.

He took one of the matts the others left and layed it down for her to rest on as she watched the sun go down.

"I've never had this much fun," she sighed.

"Never?" He asked.

"No... not even as a child... I always sat and read."

"That's not so bad. That explains why you're so smart."

"Yes... but to experience things like this is so much more... exhilirating... than sitting in my garden and reading about it."

"I guess it is..."

Kaya chuckled, "Here I am talking about this like it's heaven on earth... meanwhile, you must have lived like this every day."

"Yeah, I did," he sighed, sitting down next to her on the matt, "My mother would take me here as we'd watch the grown men jump into the water. Then when I was ready, she'd take me to the lowest cliff and I'd wait there for a minute before jumping in... other times, my mother, father and I would sit at the edge and stick our feet in, watching the sun set just like this... I haven't done this since they died."

"Holly doesn't go out here with you?" she asked.

"Holly is much too old to be journeying out here. Besides, it was after the invasion and everyone wanted to hear her predictions... she had no time."

Kaya lowered her voice as she turned to look at him, "I am so sorry that they did this to you... took them away, I mean... you don't deserve that."

Sebastian shrugged, "I've stopped crying about it years ago... Now I just want to do something about it... avenge them... free our people for them... otherwise they would have died in vain... I don't want anymore little boy's family to be killed and be left alone like me..."

She touched his cheek and looked directly into his eyes, "You never have to be alone again... I promise you... You have so much to be proud of... For starters you make a pretty decent tour guide," they both chuckled and took a sigh to calm themselves down, "and I will stick by you until you send me away..."

Sebastian pressed his forehead against hers and whispered, "I could never send you away... Santana."

Santana grinned before their lips became closer and closer. Out of nervousness, she stayed back, but Sebastian closed the distance between them, kissing her deeply and passionately, placing his hand on the back of her head. She leaned in closer to him, really feeling to moment. It was sweet and wonderful. She had never been kissed before. As a princess, she had only specific suitors and they never had a moment alone, and she didn't even find someone that she wanted to kiss. A few days back, Santana questioned who she wanted more, Blaine or Sebastian, but Sebastian would always be in her heart. Blaine would never be able to capture her the way Sebastian did. She was his until the end from this point on. He wasn't at all what she imagined in her dreams, but better. The sun finally began to set behind the horizon line of the ocean as they released from the kiss, both of them breathing heavily with their foreheads pressed together, just enjoying the moment of sweet bliss that they wished could last forever.


	8. Chapter 8

Santana didn't know that morning had arrived until she felt the warmth of the sun against her cheek. She had never felt such a warmth when she woke up in the morning. Rachel must have opened a window or something instead of marching in and being obnoxious about waking her up. She squeezed her eyes tighter as she began to wake up a little bit more, then she started to feel a breeze over her body. There was no way that could have gotten into her room. Then she started to smell grass beneath her.

She reached her hand across her body and felt the soft texture of the native clothes, then she reached back and felt her hair tied back in a braid. Santana never did return home the previous night. She had slept on the matt that was set up before as she watched the sun set. Santana stretched her arms out and yawned.

"Good morning, my Spanish rose," a soft voice whispered behind her.

She jumped frantically with a small shriek, frightened by the sudden voice that came from behind her. She turned around quickly and saw that Sebastian was chuckling to himself as he rested back down on the matt with his hands resting behind his head and a grin on his face.

"Good morning," she said sweetly, leaning down to kiss him ever so quickly and softly on his lips, "Thank you for staying with me here..." she whispered.

"It was no trouble at all," he smiled.

Santana then stood up and stretched her arms and legs out before walking back in the direction towards the village.

"Where are you going?" he asked worriedly.

"Home," she assured him, "I think some members of the palace would be concerned if they went into the princess's room and saw no princess in her bed."

Sebastian nodded and got up, bending down to pick up the matt and rolled it up before standing beside her and holding her hand, "I'll guide you back."

Santana looked down at their hands and blushed, leaning her head against his shoulder as they continued to walk through the woods back to the village. Once they arrived, she didn't stop to look at anybody who saw them coming into camp for the first time since last night, but instead, she kissed Sebastian quickly before hurrying to her horse and riding off towards the palace.

The second she arrived, she ran to the side wall where her balcony was placed just above her head. She climbed up the ivory that was attached to the stone walls, and after finally reaching the balcony, she threw herself over to the solid ground and ran into her room, shutting the doors of the balcony behind her and jumping straight into bed while undoing her braid and rubbing the dark make up off her face.

Seconds later, there was a knock on the door and the wooden doors opened. Santana threw the covers over her body so only her head was visible in the bed.

"Rise and shine!" Rachel sang as she came gliding into the room.

As usual, she made her way to the edge of her bed and sighed in relief once she saw her in there.

"Oh thank goodness!" she cheered, "Uncle Ramon thought that you had run away somewhere, but you were just simply locked in your room all day, probably reading all of those books you have in your library."

"Mhm..." Santana groaned, rolling over onto the pillow so Rachel wouldn't see her face.

"I bet you went on some kind of wild adventure last night, right?" Rachel laughed.

_You could say that,_she thought as she grinned to herself.

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The King stood on the west balcony of the palace that overlooked the fields where the natives worked. It was the largest field in all of the island and the most native men worked there all day and all night with only a few minutes rest. Ramon assumed that they were strong enough to handle it. He smiled as he saw the muscles straining and the sweat falling down their backs and foreheads. Santana didn't like the sight at all of her father enjoying the torture the natives were going through.

She stood in the shade of the balcony as she watched.

"Santana," the king called, "Rachel tells me you have been reading a lot lately, learning and strategizing... we could use that... government officials and presidents from neighboring lands have come to visit us... they just have that look that means hunger. They want our land."

Santana stepped forward so she was standing next to her father, but not turning her head one bit to address him in that way.

"But we still have the magic we've always had..." she argued, "The natives, the people... they look up to me. They trust me. We are successful thanks to them and their hard work... no thanks to your generals and army men..."

The King scoffed at her, "This is not dependent on how popular we are with the parades in the streets"

"But you're wrong there... those people are MY people-."

"The people belong to no one. They are gullible and can be easily led into our traps. This is beyond us... my army men will get us farther than your silly peasants... and think about it this way... you don't politically exist... therefore you have no power to do anything about it anyway."

Santana's mouth fell open. After everything that she had wanted to fight for, everything that she had said and done in order to gain their trust and become a much stronger fighter, she was shot down and told that her work doesn't even count.

"So I don't exist?" she said harshly, slowly turning to face her father, "So I count for nothing. Why don't you go out there on the streets and tell them that! All over this country, no one else knows the King or Queen's name, all they know is "Santana" their savior! I AM Ponderoso! I have done things that you don't even know about. I am trusted here. Meanwhile, your government officials wouldn't be recognized by their own mothers... but you just wait... once I'm queen, everything's going to change."

The King burst into laughter, "I wish you the best of luck. Your weaknesses overcome you."

"You're wrong again. These people look up to me, they trust me. It takes a community to build a good nation, and that is what I intend to do when I'm queen. There is nothing you can say that will stop me."

"Relying on peasants," he chuckled, "That is the worst mistake you will ever make."

"Say what you want, father... but a country and a kingdom are nothing without its people, the ones who live under authority. What are we without them? A bunch of idiots with no one to support us."

"We don't have to earn their trust... we can force them to. We can add another law."

Santana had quite enough with her father making new laws just because he wanted something to happen in his own favor. It wasn't fair. Nothing was right about it at all. In fact, he was more savage than he makes the natives out to be. Of course he could never say this to him before she had a plan of action. It was too soon to acuse him before she had a good plan. So instead, she walked away.

Later in the day, Santana took one of her books and decided to stay home for the day instead of going out into the village. She had gone every day for several weeks, maybe it was a good time to lay low and relax for one day. She took one book into the garden where the minstrel was playing as she always liked.

"E-Excuse me... princess?" a voice called.

Santana knew this voice far too well to ignore it. She turned around and behind her stood Sebastian, tending to the shrubs with a pair of clippers.

"Yes?" she said formally, but staring at him lovingly with a sweet smile.

"I believe you dropped this," he said, holding out a piece of paper to her.

Santana reached out her hand and grabbed the folded paper from his hand. She opened it and examined it. It wasn't anything that she had dropped, but a letter from Sebastian to her personally. It was written in perfect handwriting, carefully done, each word touching her heart as she read each loving phrase. She looked back up at him and blew him a quick kiss before slipping it into her book and continued reading from where she left off.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

"Of course not," Santana replied, thinking she was speaking to Sebastian, but was surprised to see Blaine sitting beside her on the stone bench.

"It is a beautiful day out here today, isn't it?" Blaine asked, smiling and swaying along with the music.

"Yes... I suppose it is," she said tensely.

Sebastian, the man Santana truly loves, was standing directly behind her while Blaine, the man she promised to marry, was sitting beside her. She only hoped that he wouldn't do any kind of big romantic gesture that would make Sebastian upset with her. the marriage to Blaine was also something that she was going to have to take care of, but that would be all settled after the political side of things were sorted out.

Blaine stood up and held out his hand towards her, "Dance with me, princess?"

"Oh... um... I'm sorry, Blaine... but I really must return back inside," Santana said anxiously.

She stood up, patted him on the shoulder and rushed back into the castle while Sebastian started to walk away, however, he saw the folded up piece of paper that fell out of Santana's book on the ground. He bent down to pick it up.

"You!" Blaine shouted, "What are you doing with that?"

"The princess dropped it," Sebastian answered quietly.

"I will be the one retrieving it thank you very much," he spat, bending down to pick it up, "She doesn't need to have your native infested germs on it."

Sebastian recalled Santana mentioning the people she could trust in her own home. Duke Blaine was one of them. Was he going through some kind of mood swing just now? His reaction was confusing to him, but one thing was for sure, Blaine could not be trusted anymore. That's at least how Sebastian saw it. So instead of arguing, he retreated.

Blaine watched as the native boy walked away and then he looked down at the piece of paper, contemplating whether or not he should read it to make sure it was hers in the first place. So he unfolded it and saw the handwritten message on the inside. He began to read carefully:

_My dearest princess,_

_Where do I begin? I'll start with when I first laid eyes on you that day in the garden when I caught you in my arms after you fell... I hope I didn't scare you. It seemed like I did. I wanted so desperately to get to know you better, because from the very beginning you seemed like someone I could trust. Unfortunately, there were some aspects of myself that prevented me from retrieving you. My family in the village told me not to say a word to you, and so I listened to them and their better judgment because they are my family. Then you came after me. I tried to push you away because I was afraid... but now I am the opposite of afraid. You have done so much to help me. No one like you would be willing to do that, which is why I admire you greatly, Santana. I never want to scare you again like I know I have done in the past. I only now want your love and your trust, which, after last night, I feel like I have now. Lying there on those cliffs as the night passed over was one of the most memorable moments in my life. I treasured just holding you there and being in your presence. I know you felt the same way too. Now I want nothing more than to be by your side. I feel better seeing you standing there, whether you are in a dress as Santana or in our traditional clothes as Kaya. The only thing that separates those two girls is the clothes and the location as to where they're living. Kaya and Santana are the same beautiful, smart, kind, caring and loving girl that I have grown to fall in love with. If your love is true, please come to the village tomorrow night, we will go somewhere, anywhere, alone together and we will both truly know if this is love or just a dream._

_-Sebastian_

Blaine crushed the letter in his hand the second he finished reading it. There was no way that could be true. No way that Santana could be in love with, not only a peasant boy, but a native boy. She was much too honorable, much too loyal, to do something so stupid and vile. Not to mention, she broke her promise about marrying and loving the duke. He knew the laws inside and out, like the back of his hand. He knew that Sebastian simply catching her in the garden is illegal, let alone talking to her and taking her out alone. That boy did escape from prison after all. What he has done is punishable by death.

Santana would be going to the tribal village the next evening. The perfect place for Blaine's own plans to be carried out. Some aspects of his plan involved contacting the royal guard, telling the King and Queen and Rachel, but one thing that he wanted more than anything was to see Sebastian die the most horrible death of all time, and he wanted Santana to suffer for breaking her promise, her vow, and his heart.


End file.
